Britain faces first forced power blackouts since 1970s

The British government predicts that the country will face power cuts like those it faced in the 1970's. Within eight years, demand for electricity from businesses and homes looks set to exceed the available supply.

The United Kingdom was last rationed power in the 1970's. During a coal miners' strike the three-day week was introduced in an effort to preserve the coal that was available. The figures indicating the energy shortfall were published as an appendix to the UK Low Carbon Transition Plan, launched in July. The Low Carbon Transition Plan sets a target that by 2010, forty percent of the country's power will be supplied by wind, wave and solar power - sources that are known as "clean technology". The appendix published in the plan predicts that by 2017 there will be an energy shortfall of 3,000 megawatts per year. This is equivalent somewhere the size of Nottingham being without power for a day. By 2025 the shortfall is expected to increase to 7,000 megawatts per year - equivalent to half of Britain having an hour long power cut over the course of the year. Shadow energy secretary, Conservative Greg Clark hit out at the Labour government saying: "Britain faces blackouts because the Government has put its head in the sand about Britain's energy policy for a decade. Over the next 10 years we need to replace one third of our generating capacity but Labour has left it perilously late, and has been forced to admit they expect power cuts for the first time since the 1970s." He also made a claim that the blackouts predictions made by the government could be three times worse. The scheduled closure, part of anti-pollutions measures put in place, of nine oil and coal fired power plants by 2015 is said to be behind the predicted power shortages. Four nuclear power plants are also set for closure. The Department of Energy and Climate Change issued a statement through a spokesman: "It's wrong to take a single chart out of context, and alarmist to talk of 70s-style three-day weeks. The public should be reassured the UK energy system is one of the most resilient and responsive in the world. It will deliver for the long term and our transition plan will shift it on to a secure low-carbon footing."